Art of knitting



0st. 22, 1940- A. I... WEISBECKER ART OF KNITTING Filed March 23, 1939 la ng/Mm in iflzzyaai Z. Wezbaak'er,

Patented Oct. 22, 1940 PATENT OFFICE ART OF KNITTING August L. Weisbecker, North Glenside, Pa., assignor to Hosiery Patents Incorporated, Lansdale, lPa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application March 23, 1939, Serial No. 263,738

20 Claims.

The present invention relates to the art of knitting, and more particularly to yarn carriers for knitting machines, such as the conventional straight knitting machines now used in the production of full-fashioned hosiery. It will be readily appreciated, however, from an understanding ofthis disclosure that the present invention is applicable to other types of yarn feeding or guiding means.

Prior forms of yarn carriers adapted for use in full-fashioned hosiery straight knitting machines are disclosed in the following patents issued to Frank G. Weisbecker: 2,026,514, dated December 31, 1935; 2,014,341, dated September 10, 1935; and 2,101,801, dated December 7, 1937.

These patents may be referred to for an explanation of the operation of a yarn carrier in a straight knitting machine and for an explanation of some of the advantages of yielding yarn g carrier constructions and flexible yarn guide tubes for yarn carriers.

It is the usual practice to provide the yarn discharge end of a knitting machine yarn carrier with a guide tube. The yarn of the carrier passes down this guide tube and then across its tip edge at substantially right angles to the tube axis. This movement of the yarn across the tube tip exerts a cutting action and eventually wears away the tip tc'the extent that the tube must be replaced. If the tube tip is made of wear-resisting material, the useful life of the tube may be prolonged, but ultimately the tip will become damaged and require replacement of the tube. Heretofore, the practice has been to'replace a guide tube having a worn tip with a new guide tube.

The cost of replacement of yarn guide tubes is an important item in the production of hosiery. A full-fashioned knitting machine may have as many as 168 yarn carriers. Some hosiery machines now inuse have at least 250 yarn carriers. The usual knitting mill for producing full-fashioned hosiery has a number of straight knitting machines. It is, therefore, apparent that in many cases a knitting mill has in use thousands ofyarn carriers. Each of these conventional yarn carriers will require replacement of its yarn guide tube when its tip becomes worn or otherwise damaged.

The present invention provides a yarn carrier construction having a detachable and reversible yarn guide tube. This tube may be removed and inverted in the yarn carrier, so that when one end of the tube has served its useful life as a yarn laying tip, the other tube end may be arranged as the tube tip. The reversibleguide tube, therefore, has a usefulness corresponding to the total life'of its two end portions. This is true since the entrance end of the guide tube when in use is subjected to little or practically no wear by 5 reason of the yarn passing therethrough.

The substantial savings which is secured by this invention are readily apparent. The knitting mill equipped with yarn carriers of the present construction may materially reduce their reserve stock of new yarn carrier tubes, since fewer replacements will be. required. The cost of replacement over a given period of time will be further reduced as the yarn guide tubes of this invention have longer life than those, heretofore, 15 used in the art.

This invention also provides yarn carriers with a novel support for their yarn guide tubes. In the preferred embodiment of this invention, the yarn guide tube is frictionally supported in a go socket, which functions in a most eihcient manner. This socket is of such character that it facilitates insertion of a yarn guide tube therein, the tube being slid longitudinally into place by slight pressure on its outer end. The socket is 25 also of such character that it offers greater resistance to withdrawal of the yarn guide tube than to. its insertion therein. This action of the socket avoids the posibility of the yarn guide tube getting loose and falling from the yarn car- 30 rier. If a yarn guide tube accidentally drops from a yarn carrier, it may become wedged between operative parts of the machine and cause substantial damage.

Another feature of this invention resides in a 35 yarn carrier construction which avoids the possibility of the yarn carrier interfering with other yarn carriers which it may pass during operation of the knitting machine. The conventional fullfashioned knitting machine comprises a plurality of knitting sections, each of which is adapted to knit a stocking blank or a portion thereof. Each of these knitting sections usually has a plurality of yarn carriers, some ofthe conventional straight knitting machines having as many as 45 seven or eight yarn carriers for each knitting section. The yarn carriers in a knitting section are reciprocated in parallel paths and have their supporting ends spaced farther apart than their lower ends, which latter feed the yarn directly 50 to the needles and sinkersof the knitting section. The knitting field, comprising the needles and sinkers, provides a relatively narrow path for the lower ends of the yarn carriers during their yarn laying operations. It has, therefore, been 55 a long standing problem to avoid interference between the lower ends of the yarn carriers in a knitting section as they pass each other during operation of the knitting machine. An example Q of the close positioning of the lower ends of yarn carriers is found in Figure 2 of the patent to Noble 1,606,378, dated November 9, 1926. The Noble yarn carriers are shown as depending from the bars I. The yarn carriers embodying a preferred form of the present invention are of such construction that they may readily pass each other without objectionable interference during machine operations. The preferred form of the present yarn carrier is also so constructed that if it engages another yarn carrier it will readily slide over the same and avoid a collision.

It is, therefore, an object of thisinvention to provide a novel form of yarn carrier with a yarn guide tube which has a longer useful life Q than the yarn guide tubes heretofore known in the art.

A further object of this invention is to provide a novel yarn guide tube support, which facilitates insertion and removal of a yarn guide tube by a knitting machine attendant, and yet avoids the possibility of the yarn guide tube accidentally falling out of its socket.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a novel form of yarn carrier which is so constructed as to avoid objectionable interference with other yarn carriers which it may pass during use in a knitting machine.

Another object of this invention is to provide a novel form of yarn guide tube.-

' Other objects and advantages of this invention will be apparent from the following description,

the appended claims, and the accompanying drawings, -in which preferred embodiments of this invention are illustrated.

In the drawing, Figure 1 is a. perspective view of a yarn carrier embodyin this invention.

Figure 2 is an enlarged detail view in elevation of the lower end of the yarn carrier shown in Figure 1, Figure 2 showing the yarn guide tube in position for insertion in the yarn car-' rier.

Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Figure 2, and shows the yarn guide tube in assembled position.

Figure 4 is a longitudinal, cross-sectional view through. the yarn guide tube shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3.

Figure 5 is a side elevational view of the yarn carrier illustrated in Figures 1 to 3.

Figure 6 is an elevational view of another form of yarn guide tube support embodying this invention.

Figure 7 is an elevational view of still another yarn guide tube support embodying this inven tion.

Referring now to the drawing in detail, the yarn carrier of Figure 1 comprises a yarn guide tube supporting arm member In and a flexible yarn guide tube ll.

Yarn guide supporting member are preferably electrically, butt welded to theend of the supporting arm portion l2, although these portions may be united in any suitable manner. The resulting welded joints are indicated the socket formed by the jaw members I. The

quired for its insertion. The spring arms I! by the lines 25. The supporting arm portions II, in eifect, provide a bifurcated lower end for the supporting arm l0.

The supporting arm portions 13 are constructed to provide a yarn guidetube socket having jaw 5 members I. The inner faces of thesejaw members H are grooved, as shown in Figure 3, to provide a socket conforming in shape to the exterior of the yarn guide tube II. The jaws M are resiliently supported by the spring fingers or arms 15, which are integral parts'of the portions i3. These spring arms I5 may be formed by providing slots IS in the supporting arm portions l3, as shown more clearly in Figure 2. To increase the flexibility of the supporting arms ii, the slots It at their inner ends may be enlarged as at H (see Figure 2).

The supporting arms it are so arranged that they extend inwardly and rearwardly from the ends of the supporting arm portions it, as shown in the drawings. The supporting arms It will, therefore, extend laterally and at anangle with respect to both the axis of the socket formed by the jaw members I and the axis of the guide tube II which is held by the jaw members i4. 25

In assembling the yarn carrier, the yarn guide supporting arm ill and the guide tube H are relatively arranged as in Figure 2 with the axis of the yarn guide tube ll aligned with the axis of yarn guide :tube II is then inserted into place between the jaw members II by a longitudinal movement of the guide tube I i. Only slight pressure on the outer end of the guide tube Ii is re- 85 so support the jaw members ll that the latter will readily spring apart when the yarn guide tube ii is shifted in'the direction for its insertion in the yarn carrier. The yarn guide tube ii is arrested in the desired position by a shoulder l8 at the lower end of the arm portion l2. This shoulder l8 constitutes the bottom of the yarn guide tube socket and engages the inner end edge IQ of the yarn guide tube II.

The jaw members i4 grip or exert -a binding action on the yarn guide tube H to hold the latter in place. The force of this gripping or binding action is increased if there isany tendency for the yarn guide tube Ii to move in the direction away from the shoulder l8. This functioning of the jaw members l4 results from the spring arms I5 simulating toggle action in forcing the jaw members I toward each other during any movement of the yarnguide tube il in a longitudinal direction away from the shoulder l8. The so-called toggle action of the spring arms I5 permits the yarn guide tube II to be inserted by hand between the jaw members M with only slight pressure on the outer tube end, but offers much greater resistance to any tendency of the yarn guide tube II to leave its supporting socket. Yet the yarn guide ll may be readily removed when desired by an attendant. This removal may be accomplished by means of a suitable tool or instrument pressed against o the end edge l9 of the yarn guide II.

The lower side edges 26 of the spring arms I! are preferably curved downwardly and outwardly from the jaw members M. This curvature of the edges 26 provides arcuate supports for the yarn guide tube H in the event its outer tip is deflected toward either of the side edges of the supporting arm member Hi. It will be understood that in yarn laying operations, the yarn carrier reciprocates in such manner that each 7 aeisp'va of the side edges of the supporting arm member l alternates as the following and leading edge. The tip of the guide tube I I, in event of its striking a sinkeror other obstruction during yarn laying operations. will be deflected rearwardly and toward one or the other of the spring arm edges 26. During this deflection, the guide tube ii will yield to conform to the curvature of the engaged edge 26. In this way, sharp bends in the guide tube ii during deflection are avoided. Abrupt bending of the guide tube ll so that adjacent parts are disposed at a sharp angle is apt to distort the guide tube and render it unflt for use unless it can be repaired or bent back to its original shape.

The guide tube supporting arm member 80 preferably has a varying thickness as illustrated in the drawing. The member it may be made of flat plate stock having a uniform thickness throughout'corresponding to the thickness of the upper portion of the completed supporting arm member id of Figure 5. The lower half or third of the supporting arm member I0 is then tapered from about the location of thearrow X in Figures land 5. This tapering may be secured by grinding away or otherwise removing portions of the yarn guide tube supporting arm member 10. The tapering is preferably such that the taper extends outwardly as well as toward the lower end of the member N. This results in the member ID becoming gradually thinner towards its lower end until the thinnest portion is at its lower tip end. The taper also extends from the longitudinal center of the member to toward its side edges (see Figure 3). These side edges will, therefore, become gradually thinner until the lower tip end of the member I0 is reached, where its side edges are thinnest. At their thinnest portion, the side edges are preferably no thicker than is required to give them suflicient strength to withstand yarn carrier operations. The outward or lateral taper of the lower end'of the yarn carrier member I0 is illustrated in Figure 3. As shown in this figure, the lower end of the supporting arm H0 at its central part is preferably not substantially thicker than the guide tube ll. A thickness corresponding to the dimension of the outer diameter of the guide tube ii is sumcient for the thickest portion of the lower end of the member iii.

The tapering of the yarn carrier member it may also be such that its rear face 20 -(see Figure 3 and the face towards the left in Figure is substantially fiat and its front face 2i is substantially rounded or arcuate. This particular form of tapering is desirable in those cases where the rear face of the lower end of the supporting arm member i0 has sliding engagement with a sinker headof a knitting machine during yarn laying operations.

Where the yarn carriers of a knitting machine section are shaped and dimensioned as described above, there is little or no danger of objectionable interference or collision between the yarn carriers as theypass each other. Should two yarn carriers contact each other in passing, the thin leading edge of one supporting arm member l0 will readily ride up and over the tapering face of the member III of the other yarn carrier.

The supporting arm member iii of the yarn carrier is also preferably provided with a groove 23 for guiding yarn into the entrance end of the uide tube II.

' on even date herewith.

The ya'm guide tube The yarn guide tube ii preferably is formed of three sections 30, 3| and 32 and preferably has substantially uniform internal and external diameters throughout, as shown particularly in Figures 2, 3 and 4. The dimension of the outer diameter of the yarn guide tube may be on the order of 0.046 inch. The tubular section 3| is preferably of flexible construction and may be formed of both round and flat stainless steel wire in the same manner as the tube shown in Figure 5 of the Weisbecker Patent No. 2,101,801.

The tubular sections 30 and 32 provide tips at opposite ends of the tubular section 31 and may be formed of any suitable tubular stock having a continuous annular wall to provide smoothinterior surfaces. and 32 may be formed of any suitable material, but preferably of a metal characterized by itshardness and wear resisting properties. Thetips The tubular sections or tips 30 and 32 may, for example, be formed ofhigh carbon (hardened) steel.

The tubular sections 30, 3 I, and 32 are preferably integrally united as by' welding. A suitable apparatus and method for welding together the tubular sections 30, 3i and 32 are. described in mycopending application, Serial No.-263',737, filed The yam guide tube i l, according to'the preferred embodiment described above and illustrated in the drawing, has similarly-formed. and shaped end portions, so that either is adapted to be and maybe, fitted into the socket formed by the jaw members l4. Consequently, when one I tip (for example tip 32) has become worn as by the yarn passing therethrough and across its outer edge, the yarn guide tube may be withdrawn from its supporting socket and inverted to position the worn tip 32 in the socket and the other tip 30 at the extreme end of the yarn carrier. The guide tip 30 will then be in position to lay yarn. There is little or no wear on the end of the guide tube II which is supported inthe socket, so that tip 30, when the guide tube It is inverted, 'will present a. yarn outlet which is practically in the same condition as when the yarn guide H was originally installed in the yarn carrier. V

' Embodiment of Figure 6 Another form of resilient socket for the lower Embodiment of Figure 7 The spring arms supporting'the jaw members of the guide tube socket may be arranged at any suitable angle with respect to the axis of the socket. As shown in Figure 7, the spring arms may be arranged nearly at'right-angles'to the axis of the socket formed bythe jaw members 5| and still simulate the toggle action described above. In the formof Figure '7, the spring arms 50 may be constructed of tempered steel to provide resiliency and may be welded as at 52 to the upper portion 53 of the guide tube Figures -modiiications and embodiments comingwithin fined in claim 1, a reversible-tubular yarn guide supportlng arm member. With the construction of Figure 7, it is preferable that the carrier portion 53 be slotted at 54 to provide the inner end of the guide tube socket.

It will also be apparent that withdrawal of the guidetube II will be strongly resisted bythe spring arms (15, .40 or 50) even if the latter are arranged at exactly right angles to the axis of the guide tube I i This action results from the inner ends (for example, see 60 of Figure 2) of the jaw: members moving toward each other as the springarms tend to, pivot about their outer ends dur-' mg a withdrawal movement 'otthe yarn guide:

tube ll. It will be understood that the foregoing is illustrative and that this'inventionvincludest all the scope of the appended claims.

I claim: J l. A yarn carrier for knitting machines comprising jawmembers forming sides of a guide tube socket, and an arm for resiliently supportingone of said. jaws in position to frictionally grip a tube in said socket, said arm extending.

laterally from said socket and at such an angle to the longitudinal axis thereof that longitudinal movement of a guide tube within said socket in a direction towithdraw the guide tube there- .from causes said arm to increase the grip or binding action of said arm supported jaw member on the guide tube. v

2. In combination with a yarn carrier as detubemounted' in said socket. j

3. A yarn carrier for knitting machines comprising at least twojaw members forming a1 socket for a yarn guide tube, and aspring arm I supporting each; of said jaw members in position to frictionally grip a tube in said socket, I

eachof said spring arms extending. laterally from said socket and at such an angle to the longitudinal axis thereof that longitudinal movement of a guide, tube within said socket .in a

direction to withdraw the guide tube causes said spring arms to increase the grip or binding action of said jaw members on the guide tube.

4. A yarn carrier for knitting machines comprising a yarn guide tube having at least one end thereof of substantially uniform external di ameter, jaw members providing a socket for and conforming to the outer shape of said guide tube end having uniform external diameter, and

' means for so supporting said jaw members that longitudinal movement of said guide tube in a direction to withdraw the same from said socket causes said means to increase the grip or binding action of the jaw members on said guide tube.

of said socket and .at an acute angle with respec to the outer end ofsaid guidetube. a

6. A yarn carrier for knitting machinescomprising a plate-like member having a bifurcated end portion to provide two branches, and having a, slot in. each of said branches to provide in-.

wardly extending spring arms, said spring arms terminating at their inner ends in jaw members forming a socket to receive a yarn guide tube.

7. A yarn carrier as in .claim fi; wherein the plate-like memberhas a yarn guide groove lead-1 ing to said socket and extending'through a shoulder which formsthe inner limit of said socket.

"'8. A yarn carrier for knitting machines comfprising a supporting arm member having laterally spaced branches "at its yam discharge end, and spring arms extending. inwardly and rearwardly from the" ends ofsaid branches, said .spring arms adjacent their inner endshaving jaw membersforming a socket for aguide tube, the longitudinal axisof said socket'being substantially in the same plane 'as saidspring arms,

whereby said spring arms cause. said jaws to offer greater. resistance to withdrawal of .a tube from said socket than toinsertion of the same therein.

f9. A yarn carrier as definedin claim 8,' wherein a yam guide tube is mounted insaidsocket, said tube having-'- similarly shaped opposite ends, whereby said tube may be withdrawn by longitudinal movement,:inverted and'replacedin said new yarn laying tip for the a guide tube for laying the yarn of said carrier along the needles ofthe knitting -machine, said guide tube comprising three portions integrally united by welded joints to provide a tubular construction having substantiallyr'uniform internal, diameter -throughout,,; the "intermediate portion. of the guide tube being flexible and formed of coiled wire, the other two of said guide "tube portions providing tips for the opposite guide tube ends, said tips being of-iniiexible construction with smooth interior wall surfaces and being substantially more wear resistant to yarn cutting action than said flexible tube portion.

12. For use in'a knitting machine yarn carrier, a guide tube for-laying the yarn of said carrier along the needles of the knitting machine, said tube comprising a resilient tubular portion of coiled stainless. steel wire having integrally united to each of the opposite ends thereof a wear resisting tubular] tip of high carbon steel, said guide tube having substantially uniform internal and. external diametersthroughout and being adapted to have .either end thereof serve as the yarn laying tip of the yarn carrier.

13. A yarn carrier for knittingmachines comprising a plate-like member havingja bifurcated end portion to providetwobranches, each with a jaw member, the jaw members forming a socket to. receive a yarn guide tube, at least one of said branches'havinga slot therein to provide an inwardly extending spring arm for yieldingly supporting the jaw member of the slotted branch.

. 14. A yarn carrier vfor knitting machines ,comprising jaw members forming sides of r a yarn guidetube socket, and means including a m'ovsaid arm toward the guide tube and thereby to increase the grip or binding action of said arm jaw member on the guide tube.

15. A yarn carrier for knitting machines comprising a plate-like body member, resilient arms carried by said body member and having their outer ends extending substantially at right angles to the longitudinal axis of said body member,

said resilient arm outer ends being provided with jaw members to form a guide tube socket,the longitudinal axis of said socket extending subtantially transversely of said resilient arms.

16. A yarn carrier for straight knitting machines adapted to have a plurality of yarn carriers arranged to pass each other and reciprocate to lay yarn along the needles and sinkers of the machine, said yarn carrier comprising a yarn guide tube, and a plate-like member adapted at one end thereof to support said tube from one end thereof, said member being relatively thin and flat at its tube supporting end and relatively thicker at its other end, said relatively thin end having a thickness at its central portion of substantially the same dimension as the outer diameter of the supported end of said guide tube and having a gradual taper from said central portion toward its side edges, which edges alternate as the leading edges of the yarn carrier as it reciprocates in yarn laying movement, said plate-like member having different portions of dissimilar material integrally united by a welded joint, the yarn guide tube supporting portion of said carrier being formed at least in part of spring metal and providing at least one resiliently mounted Jaw to grip said yarn guide.

17. A yarn carrier for knitting machines comprising a yarn guide tube having an end portion thereof provided with an outer side wall surface of substantially uniform shape and size in the direction extending longitudinally of the tube, and means forming a socket for said guide tube end portion to provide for insertion and removal of the guide tube in an axial movement, said socket means including members for gripping said side wall surface, at least one of said members due to said gripping action tending to move with said guide tube in the axial movements thereof, and said members inpartaking of said removal movement being adapted to move also in a direction toward the axis of said guide tube to increase the force of said gripping action and in partaking of said axial movement during tube insertion being adapted to move also in a direction away from the axis of said guide tube, where- 5 by accidental removal of said guide tube is avoided and insertion thereof is facilitated.

18. A knitting machine yarn carrier comprising a yarn guide tube having at least one end portion thereof of substantially uniform external diameter, jaw members providing a socket for said guide tube and adapted to grip the sides of said tube end, and means for so supporting at least one of said jaw members that longitudinal movement of said guide tube in a direction to withdraw the same from said socket causes said means to increase the grip or binding action of said Jaw member on said guide tube.

19. For use in a knitting machine yarn carrier,

a reversible yarn guide tube comprising an intermediate portion of flexible material and tips of wear resisting material united to opposite ends of said intermediate portion, each of said tips having substantially the same internal diameter as the adjacent end of said flexible portion.

20. A yarn carrier for straight knitting machines comprising a yarn guide tube and a support therefor, said yarn guide tube having at least a portion intermediate its ends of flexible construction and adapted to have either end 30 thereof detachably connected to said support to provide for removal and reversal of the guide tube when its tip becomes worn by the yarn passing therethrough. whereby the inverted guide tube presents a new tip for the yarn carrier, said 86 support having Jaw members for grippin said guide tube to support the same and at least one of said Jaw members being resiliently urged into gripping engagement with said guide tube, said guide tube being adapted to be removed from and 0 inserted into said support by axial movement, the removal movement of the guide tube being in a direction outwardly of the lower end of said support, the jaw members of said support being adapted to frictionally grip said tube and pro vide substantially greater resistance to the said removal of said guide tube than to its insertion.

AUGUST L. WEISBECKER.

Patent in. 2,218,978.

CERTIFIcA/IE' CORRECTION October 22, 1911.0.

AUGUST L. wEIsBEcma.

1 It I hereby certified that error appears in izhe printedspecification of th on boyo mmbercd patent requiring correction as follows: Page 1 secand mm, 11 72, claim 11;,- for "langitudindl" read --longitud1na1- page 5, first column; line '48, claim 17, for "members" road --member--; and .thatjho said. Lotters ratont should be read. with this correction therein that the nine may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Officesignod and'soalod this 19th day or November, A. P. 1911.0.

Henry vanAradale,

(860.1) Acting Commissioner of Patents. 

